Naha City Second in Japan to Declare Support For Sexual Minorities

On July 19, Naha City, with the goal of realizing a society which is easy for anyone to live in, will announce its “Declaration of Support for LGBT Individuals”. Following Osaka’s Yadogawa Ward, it is the second city in Japan to do so. The declaration aims to promote understanding of LGBT people while, as Nara is a capital city, spreading a message of acceptance of diversity throughout the prefecture and the country.

The declaration will take place at the Pink Dot Okinawa event which will be held at the Tenbusu Tatemae Hiroba. Naha City has jointly sponsored the event since 2013, and has taken a proactive stance towards addressing the problems faced by sexual minorities by holding educational lectures and other activities since 2000.

The declaration is expected to address specific measures to be implemented, such as diversity training for city officials, consultation services, and so on. The city hopes that this will create a profound effect on the citizen’s awareness and sympathy towards sexual minorities, and allow both sexual minorities and families feel comfortable consulting with city administration. The administration in charge of the “City Peace Exchange and Gender Equality Department” state that “Through this declaration, we hope to work together to create a society where every citizen can come to understand sexual minorities.”